Chapter
Verse

Proverbs chapter 17

English Standard Version

1 Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife. 2A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers. 3 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts. 4An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue. 5Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. 6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. 7Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince. 8 A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers. 9Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends. 10A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool. 11An evil man seeks only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him. 12Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly. 13If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house. 14The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out. 15He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord. 16Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense? 17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. 18One who lacks sense gives a pledge and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor. 19Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction. 20 A man of crooked heart does not discover good, and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity. 21He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy. 22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. 23The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice. 24 The discerning sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. 25 A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him. 26 To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness. 27Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. 28Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
New International Version

New American Standard Bible

1Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it Than a house full of feasting with strife. 2A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully, And will share in the inheritance among brothers. 3The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests hearts. 4An evildoer listens to wicked lips; A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue. 5One who mocks the poor taunts his Maker; One who rejoices at disaster will not go unpunished. 6Grandchildren are the crown of the old, And the glory of sons is their fathers. 7 Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, Much less are lying lips to a prince. 8A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner; Wherever he turns, he prospers. 9One who conceals an offense seeks love, But one who repeats a matter separates close friends. 10A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding Than a hundred blows into a fool. 11A rebellious person seeks only evil, So a cruel messenger will be sent against him. 12Let a person meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his foolishness. 13One who returns evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house. 14The beginning of strife is like letting out water, So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out. 15One who justifies the wicked and one who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord. 16Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no sense? 17A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. 18A person lacking in sense shakes hands And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor. 19One who loves wrongdoing loves strife; One who makes his doorway high seeks destruction. 20One who has a crooked mind finds nothing good, And one who is corrupted in his language falls into evil. 21He who fathers a fool does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. 22A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. 23A wicked person accepts a bribe from an inside pocket To pervert the ways of justice. 24Wisdom is in the presence of one who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. 25A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who gave birth to him. 26It is also not good to fine the righteous, Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness. 27One who withholds his words has knowledge, And one who has a cool spirit is a person of understanding. 28Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.
Christian Standard Bible

New Living Translation

King James Version

New King James Version

1Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife. 2A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame, And will share an inheritance among the brothers. 3The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts. 4An evildoer gives heed to false lips; A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue. 5 He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. 6 Children’s children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father. 7Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool, Much less lying lips to a prince. 8A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; Wherever he turns, he prospers. 9 He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends. 10 Rebuke is more effective for a wise man Than a hundred blows on a fool. 11An evil man seeks only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him. 12Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly. 13Whoever rewards evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house. 14The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts. 15 He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord. 16Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, Since he has no heart for it? 17 A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. 18 A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge, And becomes surety for his friend. 19He who loves transgression loves strife, And he who exalts his gate seeks destruction. 20He who has a deceitful heart finds no good, And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil. 21He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. 22A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones. 23A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back To pervert the ways of justice. 24 Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. 25A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who bore him. 26Also, to punish the righteous is not good, Nor to strike princes for their uprightness. 27 He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. 28 Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.

What does Proverbs chapter 17 mean?

This continues an extended list of wise sayings from Solomon (Proverbs 10:1).

The first section of this chapter deals with virtues such as family harmony and honesty. As do other portions of this book, these statements warn that those who plan evil will suffer consequences. God cannot be deceived, and He knows precisely what's on each person's heart (Proverbs 17:1–6).

The next group of proverbs covers a wide range of ideas. Major themes include sins that cause anger or division between people, friendship, and careful use of one's resources. These verses often exhibit the common pattern of contrast or doubly-stated ideas (Proverbs 17:7–21).

The chapter ends with wisdom centered on godly spirituality and a controlled tongue. In contrast, negativity and bribery are sins to be denounced (Proverbs 17:22–28).
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